Sea Fishing

United Kingdom

With a coastline that stretches for almost 12,500km the UK has a fantastically varied coastline. There are vast storm beaches in Wales, rugged cliffs in Cornwall and the north of Scotland and wide tidal estuaries up and down the country.

All these are heaven for a wide variety of species such as bass, mullet, pollack, wrasse, flat fish, the occasional tope and blue shark, and the anglers who pursue them.

The age-old tradition of sea faring in the UK becomes obvious when you look at the number of charter boats operating in UK ports and harbours. You can fish over the reefs or the wreck of an unlucky ship which floundered on the open seas or after discovering the strong tides and rocky shorelines that are dotted around the coast.

Ireland

For many years Ireland has been considered as a premier sea angling destination. With a coastline that stretches over 5,000km there its character varies from tranquil bays, ferocious surf beaches and to awe-inspiring sea cliffs.

Given the diverse nature of the Irish coastline and Ireland's unique geographical position, sitting on the edge of the European continental shelf, the native marine life is extremely rich and varied.

Irish waters abound with fish and visiting sea anglers could catch any one of over 80 species from specimen-sized bass to bluefin tuna over 400kg which are found around the coast due to the warm water of the North Atlantic Drift.

Iceland

Whilst Iceland has a very long coastline the important thing to note is that Iceland's exclusive fisheries zone has an area of 760,000 square kilometers, seven times the area of Iceland itself.

Some of the largest fish stocks in the North Atlantic are found in Icelandic waters, including the cod and capelin stocks - generally regarded as the largest.

There are many other species of fish that can be caught in Icelandic waters such as the halibut, monkfish, mackerel, saithe, haddock, pollack, ling and catfish just to mention a few. In addition to the sheer numbers of fish there are also very many large specimens - many of which would be national records elsewhere!

There is no doubt that the best time to fish for cod is during the winter months, namely February until April.

If you are considering boat angling locations the quick and easy answer is anywhere you like. In almost all coastal towns you can find a boat operator who is willing to take you out on a fishing tour, many of which can provide equipment hire. The different regions of Iceland argue where the best deep-sea fishing is to be found but the plain and simple truth is that it can be superb in any location.

Sea fishing in Iceland.

Norway

The coastal waters are amongst the best fishing grounds in the world and are home to more than 200 fish and shellfish species. The most renowned of these is the skrei, a unique species of cod which spends at least five years in the Barents Sea before migrating to the nutrient-rich feeding grounds off Norway. It is caught in the icy waters off the northern Norwegian coast and has become popular with chefs around the world.

There are many other fish in Norwegian waters such as the halibut, monkfish, mackerel, saithe, haddock, pollack, ling and catfish etc. In addition to the sheer numbers of fish there are also some exceptionally large specimen fish in residence.

Although most people prefer travelling during the summer months to the northern part of Europe, anyone with genuine interest in proper Norwegian deep-sea/fjord fishing should consider different periods of the year. People used to say that proper sea fishing (for food that is) should only take place during the months with an 'r' in the name, ie from September to April.